Savor and Flavor

A Q&A with Margaret Roach of A Way to GardenIn our household, my husband is the gardener, and I’m the cook. As gardeners know, each crop usually comes up within a short time span, and often in ridiculous quantities! The first year my husband did a vegetable garden, I called it “The Summer of the Chard Explosion.” The next year was “The Great Tomato Debacle,” during which we actually had to give away tomatoes to our CSA. I did try to freeze some of these overabundant garden goods, but didn’t feel confident that I was doing it right. The greens, especially, did not thaw out particularly well. more→

Very easy to prepare, a tapenade of black olives and sun-dried tomatoes can be a go-to appetizer when you have little time to spare, as it takes only minutes to prepare. It’s equally good with crispbreads or sliced fresh baguette. more→

These little gems have ALL the flavor without the fatty ingredients we have indulged in the past. The two examples that I will touch on (because the other one is kinda obvious) is replacing dairy ingredients with nuts and incorporating the veggies and spices. Normally when people think of twice baked potatoes they think of creamy potatoes and smoky bacon flavors. How do you achieve these traditional flavors while adhering to a completely veggie lifestyle? Easy!

There’s no dairy in these vegan cheeses, but even your dairy-eating friends will be amazed by these delights! Vegan cheese seems impossible, but some ingredients that regularly appear in vegan food give a cheesy taste to dishes. One of my favorites is nutritional yeast. It tastes good and it’s good for you. Cashews, which are delicious just plain by the handful, create a magical texture that is reminiscent of goat cheese. Make sure to scroll to the end to see each one of these 8 vegan cheeses, all of which will knock your socks off!

Apple chips are one of my favorite healthy snacks. I love their crunchy, sweet, and luscious flavor. They take some time to bake at a low temperature, but are really easy to prepare. You can set your oven’s timer and go do other things and return when it’s time to flip the apples. You can even make a bigger batch and have them handy for snacking throughout the week. Recipe and photo contributed by Mariana Diez, from her blog Joyful Living.